WASHINGTON, June 7, 2017 - Former EPA chief Gina McCarthy has been hired by the private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisers as an operating adviser. McCarthy has been busy since leaving the EPA in January. Last month, she was appointed to the board of directors of Connecticut Green Bank. In addition, the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics named her a fellow for its spring 2017 class. Before leading EPA from 2013 to 2017, McCarthy was head of the agency's air office. She also has been commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and held several senior environmental positions in Massachusetts state government.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke named Greg Sheehan as deputy director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Sheehan is currently director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Sheehan has more than 25 years of experience with the state of Utah working in wildlife and natural resource management.
Frank Gasperini says he plans to retire as president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers later this year. A search is under way for his successor. Prior to joining NCAE, Gasperini held a variety of sales, marketing, and professional association staff positions in agricultural industries. He is also a columnist for Vegetable Growers News.
Mollie Dykes has joined the National Sorghum Producers staff as communications director. Dykes comes to NSP after several years working in public relations and social media management with the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Debra Eschmeyer, who led White House food policy in the Obama administration's last two years, has joined DanoneWave as vice president of communications. Eschmeyer was a cofounder and a former vice president of external affairs for FoodCorps, and before that was a leader at the Farm-to-School Network.
Katie Niederee is settling in to her new job as press secretary on the majority staff of the Senate Finance Committee. Previously, the Kansas State grad was communications director for Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.
Michael Bousselot, who served as chief of staff to U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad during Branstad's days as Iowa governor, has joined Bruce Rastetter's Summit Agricultural Group as managing director and head of external relations. Bousselot will be responsible for helping the company grow investments in the U.S. and in Brazil.
Will Simmerson has joined the Commodity Markets Council after graduating from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Simmerson has previously worked as a paralegal for the Department of Justice, in EPA’s Student Honors Law Clerk Program, and as an intern with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Equine Science Society has honored Michigan State professor Brian Nielsen with its Equine Nutrition Award. The award, sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association, recognized Nielsen’s research into equine nutrition and physiology. It was presented last week at the 2017 ESS Symposium in Minneapolis.
Members of the National Sorghum Producers are wishing best of luck to Bruce Maunder who has finally retired after more than 20 years of service as a volunteer research adviser to the organization. Before joining NSP, Maunder directed worldwide research for DeKalb Genetics Corp. Maunder announced his plan to retire in March at the age of 82.
David Schweikhardt, a respected agricultural economist with Michigan State University, died June 2 at the age of 58. The Indiana native’s research and extension work focused on agricultural and trade policy, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, the World Trade Organization, the Affordable Care Act, and all U.S. farm bills since 1990. Bob Boehm, manager of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Center for Commodity, Farm and Industry Relations, said Schweikhardt’s passing is a “huge loss for agriculture.”
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